Motorcyclists reach out to local and national government
MBOMBELA - The roar of over 150 bikers on the move could be heard between White River and Mbombela on Saturday morning, but this was no pleasure run.
This was a run with a firm purpose and a strong message to government: Bikers’ Lives Matter (BLM).
Joining their sisters and brothers in the global BLM movement, various chapters and clubs made a powerful statement to governments and municipalities all over South
Africa on Saturday. The call to action was loud and clear as a memorandum was handed to the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport.
The memorandum comes as South Africa exits Transport Month, in which safety and arrive alive campaigns strive for proactive decisions on the part of government.
Well-known Lowveld biker Johan du Plessis said, “The statement we handed over to government says that we’re tired of corruption in our transport department. The illegal purchase of driver’s licences endangers everybody’s lives, and it’s time it stopped.
“Bikers bring a lot of revenue to the Lowveld, and yet we can’t ride to top tourist destinations safely because potholes and poor road maintenance make it extremely dangerous.”
Also focusing on the safety aspect,
BMW Mbombela’s Sibusiso Ngomane, aka Freddy van den Goms, said, “Our purpose was to alert other road users to always look twice, to check for blind spots and not to text while driving. Too many fatalities and terrible injuries occur because of negligent motor vehicle drivers.”
Du Plessis said although October is Transport Month in South Africa, road safety legislation and initiatives always focus on motor vehicles, taxis and buses, and bikers’ interests are very much neglected.
“Bikers should be protected on our roads as much as other road users,” he said.
Bikers’ Lives Matter is a global initiative meant to ensure that bikers are heard, seen and respected on public roads.